Kitchen Knife Guide: Choose by Task

Start with what you cook most often. A knife that suits your everyday prep is more useful than buying a shape you rarely reach for. Here is how to choose among the Tidal Collection's individual knives, or decide whether a complete set suits your kitchen.

Everyday chopping and slicing

A chef's knife is a starting point for chopping vegetables, slicing boneless meat and preparing herbs. A santoku is another option for everyday slicing and chopping. You do not need both to begin: choose the shape you prefer, then add a specialist knife when a task calls for it.

Vegetables and meal prep

Choose a nakiri for repeated, straight cuts through vegetables. The Tidal produce cleaver is another option for vegetable prep. Despite its name, it is not a bone cleaver. Do not use these knives on bones or frozen food.

Bread and delicate skins

A serrated bread knife uses a sawing motion to cut through a loaf's crust. It can also help with tomatoes when a smooth edge struggles to start the cut. Use light pressure rather than forcing the blade.

Trimming meat

Choose a boning knife for trimming fat and working around bones in meat or poultry. Work around the bone, not through it. A boning knife's name does not mean it is intended for chopping bones.

Small, precise jobs

A paring knife suits peeling and detail work on small fruit and vegetables. A utility knife is an option when a chef's knife feels larger than the job needs, such as slicing smaller produce or preparing a sandwich.

One knife or a complete set?

Start with an individual knife if you are replacing a worn tool or solving one recurring prep task. A Tidal 8-piece set brings together chef, santoku, nakiri, produce cleaver, bread, boning, utility and paring knives. Choose the set if you want those options together; choose individual knives if you prefer to build gradually.

Looking for a personalized gift? Browse the engraved sets separately so you can review the engraving choices and delivery estimate before ordering.

Care after every use

Hand-wash with mild soap and dry immediately. Do not put the knives in a dishwasher or leave them soaking. Use a wooden or soft plastic cutting board and store the blades with their edges protected. Keep them away from bones and frozen food.

Need help choosing or caring for a knife? Contact us with the foods you prepare most often. You can also read the 2-Year Epicurean Promise.